Tabloid Criticized for Publishing Whitney Houston's Photo in Casket

National Enquirer put an unauthorized photo of the late singer lying in her open coffin under the headline 'Whitney: The last photo!'

Gossip tabloid National Enquirer is under fire for publishing an alleged official photo of Whitney Houston on the cover of its newest issue. Showing the late singer in an open coffin, the unauthorized photograph reportedly was taken at the private viewing inside Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, New Jersey.

The weekly American magazine proclaimed, "Whitney: The last photo!" on its headline. The photo itself will no doubt stir controversy for its crude exploitation. Inside her golden casket, Whitney was shown clad in regal purple dress, wearing a diamond broach and earring. According to Enquirer, she wore jewels worth $500,000 and gold slippers.

The picture was taken on a cellphone but Enquirer did not reveal who took it during the Friday, February 17 night wake. Whitney's funeral took place the next day, attended by celebrity friends and family.

In its other issue, Enquirer published a photo of a woman lying on a bathroom floor, putting the headline "Whitney's Final Minutes", to lead people into thinking that it was the singer. The fact was, the tabloid hired a woman to "re-create" the death scene.